Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes is a classic, vintage recipe. It’s a bit of a cross between a cookie and cake, not too sweet, and utterly delicious. Tea cakes are the perfect ending to any meal or a great mid-afternoon snack with coffee, tea, or milk.
Tea cakes are a simple, traditional cookie that has been part of Southern households for generations. Lightly sweet with a lightly crisp exterior and an almost cake-like crumb, they’re made with very basic ingredients and simply flavored, so they fit into even the most modest grocery budget.
They’re easy to make, and they keep well, which is part of why they’ve remained a favorite for so long. They’re the perfect cookie to enjoy with coffee or tea, to share casually, and to be baked again and again.
This recipe reflects the kind of baking I grew up with: dependable and rooted in tradition. If you’re looking for a classic Southern teacake with a tender crumb and familiar flavor, look no further. You’ve found it.
Recipe Snapshot: Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Cuisine: Southern, Vintage
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 30
Primary Ingredient(s): Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Thank you for this recipe for old fashioned tea cakes. It took me back to a sweet childhood memory of a family reunion at Grandma’s.“
— KHorner
What Makes This Recipe Special
Old fashioned Southern tea cakes stand out for their simplicity and unmistakable sense of home. The recipe relies on common ingredients and a straightforward method. There’s nothing flashy here, just plain, familiar flavors.
What truly sets them apart is longevity. Nothing trendy, nothing new, this is a recipe passed from hand to hand, baked for family, and remembered fondly. Making tea cakes is as much about slowing down and honoring memory as it is about baking something delicious, which makes the experience as rewarding as the result.
For readers who enjoy the stories that often surround traditional recipes, I’ve written more about my personal memories over on my Substack, Notes From the Kitchen.
Ingredient Notes
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There’s nothing at all fancy in this recipe because it originated in a time and place when people made do with the little they had on hand. Very smart and frugal folks!
- Butter — have it at room temperature.
- Sugar — plain, white granulated sugar is all you need.
- Eggs — they should also be at room temperature.
- Buttermilk — here’s how to make a substitute if you don’t have it on hand.
- Flour — you’ll need plain, all-purpose flour; I can always recommend White Lily!
- Baking soda
- Vanilla extract — no need to spend a lot for fancy vanilla to use in this recipe. A standard brand like McCormick is great!
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations to Try
- You can vary the tea cakes by adding lemon zest, nutmeg, or cinnamon. But I’d suggest you try the classic recipe first to judge which additional flavors you might like best.
- Other flavorings can be added to the dough. Try half almond and half vanilla flavoring or substitute rum flavoring.
- Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
- To be really vintage and authentic, use half butter and half lard (or shortening) in your recipe. The lard will give the tea cakes an incredible texture.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on pages 282-283 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Mix the Dough
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter until soft and pale yellow in color.
- Gradually add the sugar to the butter, beating well.
- Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the buttermilk and beat well again.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and soda.
- Turn the mixer down to the slowest speed and gradually add the flour and soda mixture into the creamed mixture.
- Add in the vanilla.
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Shape and Chill the Dough
- Shape the dough into a round or rectangle, cover with plastic wrap, and chill several hours or overnight.
Cut Out and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
- If you chill the dough overnight, remove it from the fridge about 15 minutes before rolling so that it very slightly softens.
- Working with 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll the dough to a 1/4” thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into rounds using a large biscuit cutter or a drinking glass dipped into flour. Gather the scraps together, re-roll, and cut until all dough is used.
- Place the rounds 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
- Sprinkle tops lightly with additional sugar.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow the tea cakes to cool for several minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Recipe Success Tips
- When rolling out the dough, it’s important that it’s at least 1/4″ thick to give the tea cakes a slightly “cake-y” interior texture.
- To make rolling the dough easier, you can use either waxed paper or parchment paper. Place one piece on your countertop and sprinkle it lightly with flour. Put a portion of the dough on the paper and sprinkle its top with flour as well. Add another piece of paper to the top (making a sandwich of the paper and dough) and roll out.
- To prevent the tea cakes from spreading while baking, make sure the dough is still quite cold as you roll and cut it. Then put the tea cakes directly into the oven to bake. Keep any extra dough covered in the refrigerator until needed.
Questions About Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Store tea cakes for 7-8 days at room temperature in a covered container.
Tea cakes are great with ice cream, mixed fresh fruit, or fruit jams and preserves.
Try dipping the tea cakes halfway in melted chocolate for a real treat!
More Southern Heritage Recipes You’ll Like
If you like this old-fashioned recipe, you’ll also want to check out these.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
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Recipe
Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Additional sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter until soft and pale yellow in color.1 cup butter
- Gradually add the sugar to the butter, beating well.2 cups sugar
- Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.3 eggs
- Add the buttermilk and beat well again.2 tablespoons buttermilk
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Turn the mixer down to the slowest speed and gradually add the flour and soda mixture into the creamed mixture.
- Add in the vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla
- Shape the dough into a round or rectangle, cover with plastic wrap, and chill several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
- If you chill your dough overnight, remove it from the fridge about 15 minutes before rolling.
- Working with 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4” thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into rounds using a large biscuit cutter or a drinking glass dipped into flour. Gather the scraps together, re-roll, and cut until all dough is used.
- Place the rounds 1 inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
- Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.Additional sugar for sprinkling
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow tea cakes to cool for several minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- When rolling out the dough, it’s important that it’s at least ¼” thick to give the tea cakes a “cake-y” interior texture.
- To prevent the tea cakes from spreading while baking, make sure the dough is still quite cold as you roll and cut it. Then put the tea cakes directly into the oven to bake. Keep any extra dough covered in the refrigerator until needed.
- Store tea cakes for 7-8 days at room temperature in a covered container.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Hi. I came across this looking for my mama’s (her mama’s and probably HER mama’s) teacake recipe. My mama was such a good southern cook. Her recipe calls for the ingredients but not the measurements! She knew just how the dough would look after throwing in all the ingredients. This was always so aggravating to me – I needed measurements! I’m going to give this one a try. Thanks. By the way, your description of your hometown could be the description of mine – a little town in NC. Living in different places and trying to describe the freedom and lack of fear we had growing up and likening my hometown to Mayberry, just gets ‘Your kidding!” or “Yeah, right.” responses from people. Oh, for those days to come back!
I really miss my Grandma’s tea cakes. She put lemon in hers. I have tried to duplicate hers, but every one I try just doesn’t make the cut. I don’t think I will ever find it, I believe it was just her touch that made them so good. I can smell them now.
Lana, I don’t remember reading this. Thank you for the wonderful compliments on my cooking. It humbles me to be in the same category with Aunt Bernice, Uncle Clayton, Gama, Polly & and of course your Daddy. Love U
I really enjoyed your post, — it brought back some wonderful memories of my Grandmother’s cooking! She passed away over 3 years ago, but I still remember how she made the “best” Biscuits and Gravy, Raisin Creme Pie, and I loved her Beans and Cornbread!
Please do pull all your memories together and create a book. Although I was born and raised in Canada, my childhood contains a similarity to some of your memories. Times were gentler then and I regret that my children and grandchildren’s memories will not be the gentle, warm and safe times we knew. America is no longer free nor does she now belong to the people. We have voted into office people who put love of money and power ahead of love of America and the price we have paid is the loss of our country. These people have Uncle Sam by the throat! Wake up, America, and reclaim our country by voting these scoundrels out of office!
The most wonderful memory of my childhood is my mama Sue’s teacakes. She was my maternal grandmother and died around 1955, but I can still smell and taste these wonderful treats. I failed to get her recipe and have tried so often to duplicate, but not with too much success. I am definitely going to try these and see what happens. I grew up in Pontotoc County near Ecru in North Mississippi and those peaceful childhood memories, just so heavenly.
Thanks again. Rosalyn
I,too, lived in a very small south Georgia town, Ray City, when I was young, and after reading this post, I think we’re related lol. Brought tears and really wonderful memories of my mother (who absolutely made the best cornbread dressing ever!). I miss her every day, but when I make those biscuits or that cornbread dressing or her cream cheese pound cake, she’s right there with me. Thank you, even for the tears. :)
Yum, yum…I’m from a little town, Adairsville, Ga. Everything you said, seems i could have written it, word for word. Im cooking these tea cakes now, as i cook some homemade chicken soup for supper. Ah, the smells do bring back memories, and yes doing it like our old folks did makes it so special, and the love that hours into it…there’s more than people realize in there. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Lana, Mom and I had lost Ma Booth’s Old Fashioned Teacake recipe but I knew it was the same as soon as I saw your list of ingredients. I made some last night and they took me way back in time. These were a real treat during the great depression when sugar was so hard to find. I like to use it as a History lesson for my Grand kids and it gives me a chance to tell them my memories of their Great, Great, Great Grand Mother.
Sally
Your comment makes me really happy, Sally. I love being able to keep the old recipes and memories live for others.
i am 66 years old. my mother made tea cakes. she made them and rolled the into dough like her biscuits . she then pinched off enough of the dough and rolled it like biscuit dough and pressed it into the pan like biscuits. i cannot find a recipe like this
Hi Linda – this is a fairly stiff dough. I would think you could handle the way you’ve described.
I have been looking everywhere for a recipe like my grandmother’s. She didnt roll hers out like cookies but she baked them in muffin tins (I grew up here in the Heart of Dixie or Alabama). Been looking everywhere but I cant seem to find one similiar to it anywhere. First time baking these but thinking about giving this a try, should I add more milk to thin it out and cut down on the flour?
Lana, I also grew up in South Georgia near the Florida line and we always had the Old Fashioned Teacakes. I lost my mom’s recipe years ago and was so glad to find yours.
I can’t wait to make them. I know they will be delicious.
Food and fellowship goes together like biscuits and syrup and everyone should enjoy them.
I too grew up in southwest Georgia…Thomasville. Anywhere near your small town? My grandmother’s kitchen was the first room we checked out when we got there. Mainly because that’s usually where she was but she always had something great to eat and most of the time she had her teacakes. They were the best! She gave me her recipe which while similar to yours didn’t use eggs and weren’t rolled out. She always patted them out by hand. I’m going to try yours this time and see how the difference taste!
Sheila – I grew up in Colquitt (Miller County) which is fairly close to Thomasville. I hope you enjoy the teacakes recipe!
oh my goodness, can’t believe this, two Thomasville girls found you. How amaizing is that? Would love to hear from Sheila.
My maternal grandma lived in Iron City just south of Colquitt. We have been trying (unsuccessfully) to recreate her teacakes for years. My daughter actually brought another effort over just last night … while good, still not the real deal. I can hardly wait to try your recipe.
Thanks for your comment, Dixie. I’d love to know what you think about the teacakes after you make the recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I will be baking them this afternoon. My Granny used to make tea cakes for us quite often. I never could master her recipe. She never had to write anything down, hence no recipe for me. As a man, I love to cook the old-fashioned way: Chicken and dumplins, fried corn ( always field corn, never sweet corn, cause we never heard of sweet corn) fried okra, field peas, butter beans and collard greens along with fried corn bread. I come from the Tri-state area (Ala, Fla, Ga) Everything was home grown. My most favorite desserts were Lane Cake (the six layer kind) and Nanner Pudd’n . I now need to come back to the present from your website. Thank you for the trip!